


How Do I Choose?

by MysticPuma



Series: Sherlock One-shots [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sherlock has a heart, Tough Decisions, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-03-24
Packaged: 2017-12-06 09:47:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticPuma/pseuds/MysticPuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I can't even find a place to start. How do I choose between my head and heart?" – The Wanted, All time low</p>
<p>A case gone wrong leads to a rather unfortunate situation. Sherlock finds himself faced with a difficult decision…</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Do I Choose?

Where they'd gone wrong, Sherlock couldn't fathom. He'd taken every precaution, and yet here they were, each strapped to a chair, with about ten guns pointed at them. John was staring at him, desperate for him to have a miraculous idea and get them out.

There were a few options.

One: Signal Mycroft. This was a risky one. This was no ordinary group of thugs. They'd been targeting the detective for a long time… They probably knew he'd do that. So that was off the list.

Two: Beg. _No… Just… No._ he thought

Three: Surrender and allow them to take him, in which case they'd probably let John go, but that would leave Sherlock with no way out, and of course if John went to Mycroft they'd know and would just shoot Sherlock on the spot. This wasn't preferable, Sherlock wanted out of here.

Four: Find the weakness of the group. This one was the most logical. Sherlock could easily deduce the weakness of each one of these men. Make them weak with human emotion. But. There was a huge risk factor involved in this plan. One thing went wrong, and John and Sherlock would both be blown to bits…

One and two were already off the list, so Sherlock had two options. Let them take him, almost certainly resulting in his death in some way shape or form; but they would spare John. Or… Risk both his and John's safety in order to find the weakness of the group and exploit it. Sherlock was good at emotional blackmail.

It seemed an easy decision. Option four was the most logical, and best chance of him surviving. His instincts told him to do it. It had taken him less than a second to think up the list and whittle it down to number four.

He looked up at John, and froze. John was calm now. He knew Sherlock would have a plan. He'd seen him think. Sherlock felt a strange tug in his chest. His empty chest. He had no heart. So why was it beating so fast in protest at the thought of John possibly dying?

And Sherlock realised. He did have a heart… John. John was his heart. Sherlock gulped, and John's eyebrows knitted in worry.

Sherlock closed his eyes again. He was important. His mind was precious. Everything else was transport, but vital. Without it, his brain was useless, and that would never do. He had to live. But… But could he live without a heart? If John died, his heart went with him… Sherlock had never cared for one person so much before. It was alien. Surely he could live without a heart. He'd lived for over thirty years without before, why couldn't he do it again?

Because he'd tasted it now. His mind was in turmoil. One side was fighting for logic, but the part of him that had developed sentiment… Feelings… fought against it. Sherlock's face screwed up in concentration for a millisecond, before straightening out, blank and emotionless. He had decided.

John brightened slightly at the look on his flatmate's face. Sherlock had a plan. He hid his smile from their captors, but stared expectantly at Sherlock.

Sherlock raised his head.

"Take me." He said. John frowned. The thugs all looked at him, frowning as well. "Take me. I'll do whatever you want. But let John go. He won't tell anyone, will you John?" Sherlock announced, turning his head towards John's frightened face. All John could do was shake his head. Sherlock assumed it was in answer. It wasn't.

"Sherlock… What are you-?" John started, before he was cut off.

"Fine! But if you go to the police, you're dead meat!" cried the leader. "Let 'im go."

They untied John, only one gun focussed on him now. Sherlock sighed in relief as it lowered.

"Sherlock!" John cried.

"Go, John. Forget about me. Live." Sherlock said. "I'll be fine." He said. John mis-understood, and nodded, reassured as he ran from the building. Sherlock closed his eyes. He was glad John had mis-understood him. He though Sherlock had a plan. He was wrong. John would live blissfully unaware of Sherlock's demise, and he would live. Without him.

But Sherlock couldn't live without John. He was lost without his blogger, his John…

His heart.


End file.
